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‘Up with the people, down with the banks’: Protesters rally against Bank of America’s foreclosure practices

Protestors gather to rally against Bank of America's foreclosure practices outside the bank's offices in downtown Boston Friday. The protest began at the Boston Common and ended in the Financial District. RACHEL SCHOWALTER/DFP Staff

About 2,000 citizens and over 30 activist groups marched from Boston Common to Bank of America with Take Back Boston to protest corporate foreclosures, bailouts and tax breaks on Friday.

Take Back Boston and Right to the City organized the rally and march, which began with speeches, chants and music at the Boston Common bandstand and paraded to the Hyatt Regency Boston, Verizon Wireless, Fidelity Investments, NStar and Bank of America.

Right to the City seeks justice in housing, human rights, community development and civic engagement, according to its website.

“Do you know what democracy looks like? This is what democracy looks like!” said Yvette Thierry, a member of Right to the City, before the march started.

Protesters carried picket signs emblazoned with phrases such as “Stop the Republican Economic Sociopaths.”

Anne Shumway from Social Workers for Peace & Justice said she came to speak out against big corporations.

“I’m here because our system is completely broken and it only supports the rich,” she said. “I see too many people out of work. I’m appalled at what I see— I think our country is going straight down the dump.”

Shumway said that corporations such as Bank of America are criminal and only care about “their own profits.”

Officers from the Boston Police Department set up around the march route, blocking traffic and facilitating a peaceful protest. Activists were not allowed to walk on the sidewalks and had to remain in the street.

On the way to the Bank of America headquarters, demonstrators yelled, “Up with the people, down with the banks!” and “Bank of America, bad for America!”

Along the route, people getting out of work in Downtown Crossing and the Financial District joined the march, as others looked down at the parade from office spaces and apartments.

The protest was loud, but orderly, with organizers in orange and yellow vests escorting marchers to the bank. Once the mass reached the final destination, police intervened.

Outside of Bank of America, the rally continued with speeches and chants.

A person costumed as an oversized corporate banker and thousands of other demonstrators surrounded the entrance to the building, but were ordered to make a path about six feet wide so that police could navigate. The crowd standing around the path was 30 to 50 people deep on both sides.

Bank of America employees were trapped inside the building at 100 Federal St. and could be seen looking outside through the large, glass windows.

The rally completed with activist groups giving concluding words, but police activity led to numerous arrests.

Eddy Chrispin, public information officer at the BPD, said that the police’s strategy for the protest was to map out logistics and potential scenarios that could occur during the demonstration. However, he said that the police must protect the First Amendment while still keeping the public safe.

Chrispin said that during the protest, the BPD arrested nine men and 15 women.

“[They were] predominately trespasses and blocking entrances to the bank,” he said.

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